How much ice do I need

[FISHINGNUT]

I know they say 4" is generally safe for ice fishing ,But this is the first year I have my own set up a .I have a 4 man clam 6800 aprox 100lbs plus gas auger and gear and there will be three guys in the hut for Saturday .How thick do you think the ice should be before I head out on it?.I called the place we are going and they said they have 7 to 8 " of ice as of today.Even if it warms up by the end of the week I would think thats enough ice?What do you guys think?

[Terry]

click here for chart

[Fisherman]

Never mind how thick the ice is, how big are the guys? 7-8" inches, as long as you're not doing a "Lew" snowdance, go for it.

[douG]

Plenty, as long as there really is that much ice. That would be enough for a sled or 4X, but leave the big truck parked on shore.

[danc]

It depends a lot on the quality of ice. All ice is not created equal.

[huntervasili]

Yup... Should be fine as long as it is infact 7" of ice rather than 3 or 4 black ice and the rest slushy or airy ice Be safe and have fun

[Clampet]

Pay close attention.

This is what you do.

If you want to be absolutely sure you wont break through the ice.

Buy a long handled axe.

Chop the ice as you are walking. A good swift chop.

That should penetrate about 2-3 inches.

As long as the axe doesn't go right through, proceed.

When you swing the axe and it goes right through, stop. It is no longer safe to proceed.

 

I was taught that by a dear friend of mine, awhile back.

We kept going even when the tip of the axe went through and the water seeped up through the crack the axe made. But when he chopped and the axe went through easily, we turned around and went home. The next few days of cold was enough to freeze the river sufficiently to go safely. When you are fishing on 2" of ice, the water comes up slightly out and around your fishing hole as you approach it due to your weight. It is a bit unerving, but hey, you're the one that wants to go out fishing early in the season. Usually the fishing is quite good at first ice.

[Rich]

3 inches

[bigfish1965]

We're talking about ice here, Rich, not....

[Uncle Buck]

We're talking about ice here, Rich, not....

 

 

Classic Rick, Classic

[OhioFisherman]

I`m waiting for the next ice age!

[Whopper]

Two or three cubes and a couple fingers of Crown Royal in a short glass will do ya

 

Happy Holidays!

[nautifish]

I just got back from up north 3 1/2 hrs north of north bay. They were allready out on the lakes with the snowmobiles........Crazy just crazy.. My heart was skipping beats just watching them: ......Its gotta be atleast 40 inches thick for me to feel safe.....lol....

[FISHINGNUT]

Thanks for all the input .Looks like 80% chance of rain now Saturday

[Uncle Buck]

the rain is actually a good thing... it'll pack the snow down and make it freeze quicker...

[mistyriver1]

the rain is actually a good thing... it'll pack the snow down and make it freeze quicker...

 

Hope you're right Goran.